In the laminated core (motor core) referred to as the bending core, the connecting portions connecting adjacent laminated core segments are formed in an outermost area of the core, specifically, the yoke. However, when the connecting portions are bent to form the ring-shaped core, the connecting portions located in the outermost area of the yoke project further outward from an outer periphery of the core. The projected connecting portions interfere with a housing to decrease retention of the motor core or to cause a deformation of the motor core.
In light of the above problems, FIGS. 12 (A) and 12 (B) respectively disclose connecting portions 72 and 73 for connecting core segments 70 and 71. When being bent to form a ring-shaped core, the connecting portion 72 (73) is positioned slightly radially inward from an outer periphery 75 (76) of a yoke (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).